Advent's 'I Accept' Button

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:26-38.
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.

"Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

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Reflection

The beautiful thing about our celebration today is that it prepares us for the momentous event of tomorrow. The Gospel relates to us the Annunciation of Jesus' Birth. Today, the angel Gabriel lays out the Terms of Service before Mary. He announces to her God's plan for the child that she will bear. Reading through the angel's announcement, Mary asks a clarification that will point out to us the other-worldly nature of this Child. It is conceived not in normal human sexual relations but through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Grand though it was, it would have been all for nought if Mary did not say 'yes'. But the Blessed Virgin clicked the 'I accept' button to become the Blessed Mother. Mary's 'fiat' was crucial in our salvation. By saying 'yes' to the words of the angel, she bore in her womb the Word, called holy, the Son of God. Divine grace which was already at work in the Virgin gave her strength to accept that proposal.

This last Sunday of Advent reminds us that our salvation cannot happen without our cooperation. Jesus cannot be born into our hearts unless we also click the 'I accept' button at the end of God's love letter to us. The Gospel challenges us to do just that. It is the last stage of our preparation for the birth of Jesus. If we assent with faith to the angel's message to us, we will be surprised by the wonders that God has in store for us, for nothing is impossible for God.

She who chose the Freedom of the Free

What is human freedom in the truest sense? It is the capacity to choose between two options. In its very essence lies an irony - while it is a capacity to choose it is limited to two options. Human Freedom was from the beginning limited. There is no such thing as absolute freedom.

Thinkers describe our generation as a generation that exalts freedom. The preoccupation with civil liberties is the natural expression with the Enlightenment's focus on the human person.The human person is free to decide for itself, to define and redefine itself. Freedom is what makes us human. It is the foundation of all our relationships since we choose to establish and terminate them at will.

Freedom, like all things human, has a limit. As it is a capacity to choose, it remains wanting. That capacity must be exercised in order for our freedom to be true and perfect. Here we see that while everyone has freedom, not everyone is free. It is our choice that determines how free we are. Choosing freely the best option, the good option, no matter how scary or difficult, is what makes a human person free.

Mary, the Virgin of Freedom

Annunciation (Domenikos Theotokopoulos). Wikipedia Commons

It is in the Annunciation that we first glimpse the great freedom that God gave Mary and the freedom that Mary exercised and perfected. To be the Mother of Redeemer is not an assignment that God gives and assigns to any woman. God offered it to the Virgin Mary. He did not command but through the angel Gabriel, He asked for her cooperation.

It was a difficult choice. Mary was already betrothed to Joseph. To conceive a child that is not Joseph's before the marriage is consummated is tantamount to adultery. She risks her future, her honor, her family, and even her life. Despite the fear and the questions in her head, she did what many of us should do: she listened. She listened to the words of Gabriel and submitted to them. Exemplifying obedience for everyone, she gave her fiat, "Let it be done to me according to your Word."

She gained true freedom when she surrendered her freedom to God. That was the great paradox of her choice and the great paradox that awaits us in front of God's invitation. It was a surrender because she could have chosen otherwise, she could have played safe. Mary, however, knew that God is always the best option, the greatest option, no matter how scary or difficult circumstances might be. She knew such surrender can't make her rich or famous. She knew that such surrender entails great pain and suffering. But even so, she surrendered her will and she was made free.

Freedom for the Christian

Religious and consecrated men and women practice true freedom in their vow of obedience. It is a vow made before God where one surrenders one's will. It is a promise made after Mary who was obedient to God's will. It is a promise that follows after Christ who perfected that surrender on the cross.

For Christians who live and move in the world everyday, it is a great challenge to speak of obedience. The world loves its freedom. It thinks that freedom lies in its capacity to choose. It is drunk in that kind of power. So the world seeks to expand its choices if only to avoid the best the one. Christians must rise to the challenge of being counter-cultural. Even since the beginning of Christianity, or even farther in the Annunciation, faith in Christ always meant surrender to God's Will.

She Who Loved Much and Loved Well

If I am to propose a definition of 'chastity' I would say chastity is the eloquence of love. Our culture today in movies, songs, and images tend to glorify and abuse sexuality and equate it with love. This makes it difficult for us to understand the true meaning of chastity. Everywhere we look sex is screaming at us. This is the vision of sexual freedom the architects of popular culture has designed for the world today.

True freedom however is found not in the unbridled expression of love through sexual intimacy but in the practice of chastity. Chastity is the elegance of love. Love, for it to be true, is a personal decision to will the good of another and enter into communion towards unity with the beloved. Love is not just a feeling but is an act of the will. We choose to love. We choose to love by showering our beloved with all the goodness that makes their happiness more perfect; then their happiness becomes ours. We choose to love because we are enamored with our beloved that we wish for nothing else but to be united with them in heart, mind, body, and soul - in all that we are. This we call personal communion.

In a sense, love is also a language. It speaks in acts of goodness and tenderness so that its words may touch the heart of the beloved. As the lover and the beloved learns to speak the language of love to each other, it becomes a dialogue of two hearts. These two hearts become closer as each heart speaks to the other. In this dialogue and conversation, the speech of love must be eloquent.

Eloquence of Love

Eloquence of speech is what inspires, touches, attracts, and converts the listener. Not all speeches are made equal. Some speeches are so powerful they change opinions, worldviews, incites emotions, and calls to action. To be effective, a speech must be eloquent. And so it is with love.

The eloquence of love comes from its clarity of message. For love to be eloquent, the lover must be clear in his intentions. He must be clear in his words of love. He cannot say 'I love you' but do otherwise. There is a certain integrity and honesty to eloquent love. Clarity in love is like a sharpened tip of the arrow that pierces through the depths of the beloved's heart. It allows the lover to love single-heartedly.

The eloquence of love also comes from the proper use of expressions. An eloquent speech cannot just use any set of words. Each word is chosen carefully to best express the mind and soul of the lover. It takes a certain feel to determine which expressions are best and proper in conveying love. Here we find that propriety is an essential element of love. Love expresses itself appropriately to the beloved. It does so in order to respect the good of the other. There is a sense of order in love.

Lastly, the eloquence of love requires purposefulness. Purposefulness is the thrust that cuts deep into the heart of the beloved. The speech of love is purposeful when all of its parts go together for one specific reason: the self-giving of the lover.

Chastity as Eloquence

These three characteristics make Chastity the eloquence of love. Chastity is not equivalent to modesty or, worse, aversion to sex. Chastity is the virtue that makes the expression of love clear, proper, and purposeful. It is practiced differently by people from different walks of life.

The religious and the consecrated do not marry and vow perfect continence because they want to make their love for Jesus clear, proper, and purposeful. All other loves, while remaining good, are subordinated to a greater and more radical expression of love for Jesus. These people love Jesus above all that they are willing to let go of all other loves. All married men and women practice chastity by remaining faithful and devoted to their spouses. Even Jesus would say that lustful thoughts of others apart from one's spouse constitutes adultery. All those not married practice chastity by respecting love as it truly is and as it properly ordered to. This involves self-control and discipline of the body. For them, the body is the sacred instrument through which their vocation to love is expressed and fulfilled. So they give the body the respect and honor it deserves.

Chastity is not limited to the sexual dimension of the human person. Rather, it encompasses everything the person is. It focuses the love of the person proper to his vocation in life that it clarifies that love. It is the standard with which a person judges his actions that it gives beauty and order to that love. It is channels all the activities of the person for him to truly give himself to love with purpose.

Mary, the Model of Chastity

We call our Blessed Mother "most chaste" not because she surpasses God in chastity but that she perfectly practiced God's chastity. From the moment she gave her 'yes' to the angel Gabriel, all her life were directed to Jesus, all her decisions were directed to Jesus, all her heart were directed to Jesus. She gave everything to her Son so much so that the sight of her Son on the cross completely crushed her heart and her being. Hers was a clear, appropriate, and purposeful love for Jesus.

In our society where we often equate love with sex, the virtue of Chastity is one that challenges world values. Chastity today does not subvert sexuality but orders that sexuality and harmonizes it with the person in all his dimensions. It harmonizes it so that it is not just sexuality that loves but the whole person, his total being. After all, true love is seen in the totality of generous self-giving.

Voices in the Desert

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 1:6-8, 19-28.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.

And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him
to ask him, "Who are you?"
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, "I am not the Christ."
So they asked him,
"What are you then? Are you Elijah?"
And he said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."
So they said to him,
"Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?"
He said:
"I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
'make straight the way of the Lord,'"
as Isaiah the prophet said."
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
"Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?"
John answered them,
"I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.

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Reflection

Testimonials used to be the thing when MySpace was still around. The much needed psychological boost from positive feedbacking fed the trend. Today, Facebook's 'like' and reactions replaced all that. Who among us would not delight at the number of likes our posts get on social media? Psychologists warn that this is the narcissistic trend today. We live in a world of self-promotion and self-aggrandizing.

Despite the power of his preaching and the charisma that drew in the crowds, John the Baptist denied the titles asked of him. The Anointed One or Messiah or Christ for the Jews is the one who will bring about the new age for Israel. John denied that he was. Elijah was considered one of the greatest prophets of Israel who worked wonders and preached fidelity to Yahweh. John denied that he was. The Prophet is the New Moses who will bring Israel back to the fulfillment of the Law. John denied that he was.

What John claimed for himself is his rightful and honest place in the story of salvation. He is the voice of one crying out in the desert, "make straight the way of the Lord." He is the herald that announces the coming of the Bridegroom. In his honesty, John reminded us what true humility is all about. Humility is honesty about who we are in front of Jesus.

While most of us put forward our best angle in our profile pictures and spend minutes thinking about lines that catch attention in our posts, this Sunday of Advent reminds us of our dignity and role as Christians. We too are voices crying out in the desert. We cry out to lobby for a world ready to accept its King. How can we make straight the way of the Lord today in our hearts, homes, and communities?

She Who Followed Closely

This begins my series of reflections on our Blessed Mother as we begin the Year of the Clergy and the Religious this new Liturgical Year in the Philippines. The Christmas novena that we celebrate every year in the Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi is a journey with the Blessed Mother in anticipation of Christ's birth. The birth of Jesus Christ is for us a sign of God's love and an invitation to follow Him more closely, Him who came to be close to us.

The Priesthood and the Religious Life

The Second Vatican Council ushered the Church into the modern era. It challenged her to rethink and reinvigorate her life and ministry to be more consonant with the signs of the times and relevant to the ordinary man of today. Church people saw it as the opening of windows to let in fresh breeze into a house that is in danger of growing cold and stale. This included rethinking what priesthood and religious life is in the modern world.

Icon of Christ the High Priest (Wikipedia Commons)

The ministerial priesthood is a vocation, a gift, given to some who are called to serve the Church in her official and public worship especially in the Eucharist. It grew out of the long tradition of ritual priests in Israel who were representatives of the people before God in their act of offering sacrifices and prayers at the Temple in Jerusalem. The priests of the Catholic Church however draw their priesthood not from the Old Testament but from the person of Jesus Christ who perfected the old priesthood and is called the High Priest by the author of the Letter to the Hebrews. Jesus does not offer animal sacrifices but instead offers Himself as the only acceptable Sacrifice of the Father, the Lamb of God slaughtered for the salvation of the world. Our priests today share and participate in this ministry as they perpetuate and make present the very same sacrifice of the cross in their celebration of the Holy Eucharist in which Jesus offers Himself as the Paschal Sacrifice today.

Saint Francis of Assisi. (Wikipedia Commons)

Religious life grew out of the devotion of early Christians who sought to follow Jesus more closely. It has a long history and development, renewals and reforms. What was clear and constant in its tradition is the willingness to emulate the life of Jesus Christ as faithfully as possible. Multi-faceted as Jesus is, each religious order is known for its charism, a spirituality inspired by the Holy Spirit that stresses on a particular aspect of Jesus. One of the oldest orders, the Benedictines have monks that try to follow Jesus through work and prayer. The Franciscans follow Jesus in their practice of evangelical poverty. The Jesuits follow Jesus in discernment for the glory of God. We, Salesians, follow Jesus the Good Shepherd to young people especially the poor and abandoned.

Mary, the first and radical disciple

Even before the Eucharist was instituted and the Christians were inspired to follow Jesus, Mary in a preeminent way was His first disciple. She was first to join in the mission of Jesus as Messiah by making possible the Incarnation of the Son of God when she gave her fiat, her 'yes' to the invitation of God by the Angel Gabriel to become the Mother of the Messiah. Her whole life, from that point on, was intertwined with that of her Son. From the crib to the cross, it was hers to accompany Jesus in the path that led to Calvary. At the top of that mount, she joined in the Passion and Death of her Son as she watched helplessly yet in faith the torment and pain Jesus underwent, which is for her the prophesied sword that will pierce her heart. At the resurrection, Mary accompanied the nascent Church as they accepted, reflected, and imbibed the mystery of the Resurrection. In the most crucial points of Jesus' Paschal Mystery, Mary is to be found.

All these makes our Blessed Mother the radical disciple. She is radical inasmuch as she is very much connected to the roots of our Christian faith - Jesus Christ, His Person, His Life, His Words, His Actions. Radical comes from the Latin radix, meaning 'root'. The very root of Christianity is Jesus Himself and that root is forever intertwined with the person of Mary. This radical connection is not only by virtue of consanguinity by Mary's motherhood of Jesus but even more so in the life of faith. Events in Jesus' life could not have been possible or would not be what they are if not for the presence, intercession, and cooperation of the Blessed Mother. The stories about Jesus infancy could not have been made known to the Church without the Blessed Mother who accompanied the infant Church.

In our time when radical is synonymous with 'ultra conservative', 'ultra orthodox', 'fundamentalism' and 'extremism', it is easy to fall into the trap of limiting radicality with 'keeping the rules'. Radical discipleship, as the Blessed Virgin has demonstrated in her life, is not about rules and practices. Radical discipleship is a close following in all aspects of our life of the Person and Teachings of Jesus. If being radical makes us less charitable to others then we have entirely missed the point of discipleship. Being radical simply means we become more and more like Jesus by grace and by personal effort.

Mary and the Clergy and Religious

Mary remains the ultimate example of how to be a radical disciple of Jesus Christ. Those who have received the Sacred Orders of the Diaconate, Presbyterate, and Episcopate are called to unite their very persons to the Person sacrificed on the Altar of the Mass. Like Mary, each time a priest breaks the bread, he too is broken together with the Body of Christ as an offering to God for the benefit of the people. While the Blessed Virgin Mary was not a priest she exemplified in herself the act of total offering united in the offering of Christ which priests are called to. She invites even the lay, the non-priests, to fully embrace the common priesthood each of us received in Baptism which allows each disciple to commune with that One Sacrifice.

The Nativity of Jesus (Wikipedia Commons)

While becoming more alien to the youth of today, religious life remains a valid and relevant way of life for those who are called to become radical disciples. Following Jesus Christ more closely entails a set of life choices that stands at odds with the values of the world. Religious men and women are called to be obedient, chaste and poor as Christ is. Religious men and women are called to make present the future glory of heaven in the way they live in communities as brothers and sisters. Religious men and women are witnesses to the present generation of the future glory that is to come. Mary was all that. She anticipated the faith of the Church by her Christian faith. To her was revealed the glory that Christ was to accomplish in His earthly life and she grew in that revelation by her life of faith. To religious was given the invitation to live the glory that Christ is to accomplish in humanity, they too, like Mary, must grow in their lives of faith.

Conclusion

Christmas is nine days away. These novena days is for us a graced moment of preparation together with our Blessed Mother in our path towards radical discipleship. Not all of us are given the gift of priesthood and religious life, but we all are given the gift of the Divine Life that the Word and the Spirit has given us in Baptism. That Divine Life is a life of discipleship, of following the Person of Jesus Christ. Let Mary, the First and Radical Disciple become for us a guide and help in our own following of Jesus.

We are Hyperlinks

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 1:1-8.
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
"Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths."
John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel's hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
"One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

---

Reflection

St. John the Baptist is the Biblical prototype of the hyperlink. Those texts on the web that you click/tap in order to follow up on some information were called hyperlinks by the founding engineers of the internet and web. They link pages together allowing us to jump from one page to another. The name is cool because it really is a hyper jump. Unknowingly, as you follow through those links, you are interacting with webpages hosted in the USA, then Europe, then Africa, then China... You get the point. These links hold the web together.

John the Baptist reminds us to be hyperlinks today inasmuch as he was to Jesus. Fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah, he prepared Israel for the coming of the Messiah by his preaching of repentance. He was not the message nor the Word. He was the hyperlink to the Word. He led people to believe in Jesus. He attracted people and forwarded them to Jesus. He was the introduction, Jesus is the core message.

Jesus, after all, is the fulfillment of the Scriptures. His baptism is the Baptism of the Spirit that fulfills what was begun by John's baptism of water. This Fulfillment comes with a prelude that does not promote himself but humbly points out the coming of his Master. Do we as Catholic Christians point out the coming of Jesus by our life-witnessing? When people hover around us can they see us pointing to Jesus? As Jesus' birth is coming, we deepen our shared role with St. John the Baptist.

Watch and Wait

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 13:33-37.
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be watchful! Be alert!
You do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man traveling abroad.
He leaves home and places his servants in charge,
each with his own work,
and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
Watch, therefore;
you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: 'Watch!'"

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Reflection

Hacking and data intrusion is our version of Jesus' comparison today. While most of us are oblivious to the dangers of being connected to the internet, there are individuals who by reason of fun, challenge, surveillance, or even ill-intent are hard at work peeling off the layers of security that protect us in this connected world. People never know when they are hacked. It happens silently as the user is happily browsing his Facebook feed and notifications or curiously clicking a dubious link.

The same warning given to all tech-savvy and internet-connected citizens was given by Jesus. "Be watchful! Be alert!" It is a warning that pushes us to prepare. Our naivete and disregard in our online behavior is but a mirror of what happens in flesh-and-blood reality and in the depths of our Christian inner life. We live our online life, physical life, and spiritual life not in an atmosphere of the YOLO but always in anticipation of what is coming.

What and who then is coming? The Lord of the house of which we were put in charge. As we begin this Advent season, the Church reminds us to put our affairs, our lives, our house, in order so that when the Lord comes, he finds everything well, nay, better. This season of Advent is a privileged period for us to prepare spiritually and physically for the birth of Jesus.

Our watching out is not seeped in anxiety but in hopeful anticipation. We watch out not because we don't want Jesus to find us sleeping in our sins, but that despite of our failures we stayed awake waiting for him. Advent is a time of preparation. There is no better preparation than repentance and reconciliation with God and with others.

The Righteous are the Merciful

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 25:31-46.
Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."

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Reflection
We have come to the end of the Liturgical Year. The Solemnity of Christ the King sums up the whole Cycle A with the vision of Jesus as Judge. In this vision presented to us by Jesus who refers to Himself as the Son of Man, at the end of times He will judge everyone according to his life.

If the end of the world brings with it the final judgement, then Jesus has already given us the cheat sheet. The questions are already leaked ahead of time. All of these questions refer to the acts of mercy that the Church has taught us. The final judgement then is all about measuring how merciful we all have been. More than doing good deeds, it also tests how much our disposition and our characters have grown to be like God, the Father of mercies. How God-like are we? The King of kings will weigh the harmony of our being and our doing, of our spirit and our actions, of who we are inside that flows to the outside.

The curious thing in the story is that those who were deemed worthy of heaven were surprised at the judgement handed down to them. When they did the good that they have done, their intentions were not to gain heaven but to serve the needy person before them. The righteous are those that saw concrete and real suffering and addressed it. They were not blinded by ambitions of glory and heaven. Mercy is the purest expression of love - it extends itself without expecting anything in return.

Intents and Investments

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 25:14-30.
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"A man going on a journey
called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--
to each according to his ability.
Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,
and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground
and buried his master's money.

After a long time
the master of those servants came back
and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received five talents came forward
bringing the additional five.
He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents.
See, I have made five more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said,
'Master, you gave me two talents.
See, I have made two more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said,
'Master, I knew you were a demanding person,
harvesting where you did not plant
and gathering where you did not scatter;
so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.
Here it is back.'
His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant!
So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant
and gather where I did not scatter?
Should you not then have put my money in the bank
so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
For to everyone who has,
more will be given and he will grow rich;
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"

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Reflection
Jesus parable this Sunday is easily understood in different times and periods of history. It is a common thing for any society when a person entrusts his property to others. For us today, we see this in investors and stock market capitalists who pour in their cash to earn more or in simple households who keep their savings in the bank expecting an interest from the time deposit. What is baffling in the parable however is the small detail that the master never gave an explicit instruction to his servants to invest the talents he has given them. As the story tells it, it seems it was left to the servants to interpret the gesture.

God has entrusted to us so much. The gift of our persons, who we are, is a gift that long desires to be opened, unwrapped, and explored. Despite the years, we still surprise ourselves of the hidden treasures God has hidden inside each of us. The gift of family and friends, of community, and of the Church also reveals to us God's unending providence. The gift of nature and creation reminds us how artistic God is. All of these are the talents that we have received.

Like the servants in the parable, we are stewards of the talents we have received. We might differ in abilities but God left it to us how to interpret His gesture of gratuitousness. It takes prayer and entering into the mind of God to understand His intentions for us. The return of the master poses one question: "what have we done to the gifts and talents we have received?" The last detail in the parable puts the investment into perspective. While the master did expect that his properties will grow at the hands of the servants, he never took them back but allowed the servants to keep the principal plus the interest and even more. God does not see us as production machines. Rather, He gives gifts that we might grow rich in them, and at the end of this age, share in the fullness of His joy.

The Source of True Forgiveness

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 18:21-35.
Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
"Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive?
As many as seven times?"
Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.'
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
'Pay back what you owe.'
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
But he refused.
Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?'
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart."

---

Reflection
We could all understand where Peter was coming from. He knows that as a disciple of the Lord he must forgive his brothers. He wants Jesus to know this and he wants to impress his Master. His proposal was already exceptional. To "forgive seven times" is to forgive in a complete and perfect way. After all, in Jewish numerology and symbolism, the number seven stands as the perfect number.

There was however a fundamental flaw in Peter's proposal. He still had a measure in mind.  He thought he was already generous in his own standards and that is where the flaw is. The standard was set on Peter's preference. If forgiveness were a marathon, Peter knew he could run a 100k but was proposing to run 200k for Jesus. Yet for Jesus, forgiveness is just running until you reach the horizon - it should have no measure, no limits.

Jesus shows us through the parable that a Christian's forgiveness is a reflection of his love, a love for the Father and his neighbor. That love must reflect the first love - the love of God for us all, one that is without measure and without limits. So, forgiveness must be without measure, without limits. Sure, we are but humans whose patience sometimes run out and whose expectations always needs to be met. But as a Christian, we are to love with the love of God. I love not because of who I am but because of how God has loved me. I forgive not because I can but because I have been forgiven. God is the measure and the limit of Christian love and forgiveness.

Martyrdom Today

Today we celebrate our Blessed Mother, our Lady of Sorrows. Fulfilling Simeon's prophecy of her during the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple, her presence during the Passion and Death of our Lord on the Cross saw a sword pierced through her heart. It is an unimaginable experience for a mother to witness the butchery and killing of her own son. No one has to experience a helplessness in front of inhumane brutality. Yet our Mother accepted all that in silence and in faith. Though her eyes are still veiled to the sight of what's to come, she still set her eyes to the only Person she has left in the world, her only Son hanging on the Cross.

I believe our august Lady has set forth the real meaning of martyrdom. Our world today has always been in a game of running away from pain. The preoccupation for comfort and luxury, of speed and efficiency, of convenience and accessibility all speak of an attitude that runs away from pain and suffering. We are mentally trained to shy away from the difficult.

But life has always been difficult. It is an existential fact that humanity has to undergo. What the Cross offers us is not an exemption slip from the rigors of daily life but an option to find meaning in its harsh realities. Christian martyrdom is not a masochistic preference for pain and suffering in the hope of holiness and purification. We are made holy in our sufferings and purified in our trials by finding in our personal struggles the value of the Cross. Our blessed Mother stayed with Jesus through His suffering and joined in that suffering. Today, we are suffering and are invited to allow Jesus and Mary to join us in our suffering, to find meaning in the confusion and senselessness of pain.

It is in the staying-with that martyrdom has a place in our Christian lives. When a person stands by us in the midst of suffering and pain, it is a sign of love. There might not be a reason and purpose for suffering as of now and it is by faith that we hold on. But we hold on, and Jesus and Mary holds on with us, because love that endures pain is the meaning of martyrdom.

The Cost of Sin

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 18:15-20.
Jesus said to his disciples:
"If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that 'every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.'
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.
If he refuses to listen even to the church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you,
if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them."

---

Reflection
We are all aware of the reality of sin. We have our own first hand experience of sinfulness. It is triggered by our human weakness, takes advantage of our passions, and betrays our logic. Yet the pain of sin is not only personal, it is always social. People are affected by our choices and the ones who feel the pain most are those closest to us. This experience of pain, suffering, and death was never the plan of God for us. St. Paul would say in Romans 6:23, "the wages of sin is death".

Jesus too is aware of human frailty. While we are easy to despair at our brokenness, Jesus provides the mechanism to heal wounds of division. It is an act of charity to correct one's brother or sister. It is an act of charity to lead them back to good and right. It might be difficult but it is the best course of action. It is the most just thing in the world because we are not anymore focusing on the consequence of sin. After Jesus' Passion and Death on the Cross, the focus now is in the original plan of God for us. God has always planned for us to live His life.

From the despair of death we have moved towards hope in life. So to correct a family member is to bring him back to Life. And to support one another in the group towards Christian perfection is to put true Life in the group. To condone, to be complacent however is to allow sin to corrupt a person and a community. The true cost of sin that one may win back life is not death but love, a love that expresses itself by looking out for one another, a love that binds the community together, a love in which Christ manifests Himself to us.

The Real Cross of Christian Life

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 16:21-27.
Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
"God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."
He turned and said to Peter,
"Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

Then Jesus said to his disciples,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory,
and then he will repay all according to his conduct."

---

Reflection
The image of the cross has always meant suffering. Opponents have derided us Christians as Masochists for preaching the cross. It is indeed foolish for anyone who lacks faith in it. For Christ we have become fools but among us who believe the cross is the instrument of salvation.

The cross is the symbol of Christ's obedience through which we were saved. Against the natural instinct of self-preservation, Jesus chose to lay down His life on the cross. And thus it became for us a sign of salvation. Like Jesus we have to carry our daily crosses if only to learn Christ's obedience and make it our own.

The Prophet Jeremiah points to the inner motive for the cross. The Word of God that burned in the prophets heart overruled his very life. He rightly complained, "you have duped me, Lord!" So it was with Jesus who chose to face the suffering of the cross against Peter's protest. That love for the Word and Will of the Father did not overrule His life but ruled everything that He is, did, and said.

In Jesus is a different kind of cross. In His heart weighs a love for the Father that burns from within wishing to consume everything that it touches. It is that love that impels Him to go beyond. It is the very soul of His life.

Falling into Being

Let the darkness embrace me
Let everything around me be night
Still I won't be afraid, with you
Everything glows with light

Shadows may cloud over me
Yet with my eyes I still see
For vision is not just seeing
But accepting that things be

In this twilight more is present
And life pulses in my veins
Everything is connected and felt
Peace seeping, sadness wanes

For in you everything exists
And all that exists stay
Not one is lost nor lost in one
A many splendid way

As I am held within this tight
Unbroken web of truth
No harm is felt as I deeply fall
Into your bed of soothe

I am not afraid of getting lost
As I meld into you
The more I set loose and free
What is becomes more true

Of Tides and Seasons

The tides of the heart mark its seasons
Of coming and going, with and without reasons
Many wash ashore on my side of the sea
Yet soon taken away, far away from me
In all of this, the waves beat the sand
Along with the breeze that caress the land
Sometimes soft and smooth, sometimes strong
Yet none too short and none too long
Just enough in season and time for me to feel
The dance between my heart and will

If the joyous sun should shine on it
The sand would glow in its golden heat
And when the blue light of the moon
Embrace sweet sorrow and gripping gloom
Either way the beach with gentle beat
With each stroke, sand and water meet
It dawns on me that what feelings come
Come part of life, for most, for some
What matters most is that this heart may give
True love from tides it has received

The Jesus Trailer

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 17:1-9.
Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them;
his face shone like the sun
and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
"Lord, it is good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,
then from the cloud came a voice that said,
"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him."
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
"Rise, and do not be afraid."
And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them,
"Do not tell the vision to anyone
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

---

Reflection
Trailers have become a business of their own. Every new Hollywood flick out there must always have a trailer on YouTube. It's part of the film promotion. Potential viewers get a glimpse of what the movie is about. This Sunday's Transfiguration is what I call Jesus' own trailer of what is to come.

First, Jesus brought a limited audience (think of limited previews for some films). The inner circle of Peter, James and John were the privileged ones among the twelve to scale up the mountain to witness the epiphany. These three were the first disciples to follow Christ and seems to be closest to Him. Jesus  has his best friends too. He brought them with Him not to show off His celestial powers. "Hey, guys, see what I can do!" No. They were chosen as witnesses because their faith had to be strengthened.

It was only in the previous chapter of Matthew that Peter expressed his faith in Jesus: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." (Mat 16:16 NRS) They were still beginning to fathom the significance of this statement and the shadow of the cross is getting nearer and nearer. When faced with the absurdity of the cross, these disciples have nothing to hold on to unless they truly know who Jesus is.

So they scaled up the mountain. Like Moses and his three companions: Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Jesus and the three went up to meet God. In the Bible, the phrase 'to go up' usually hints of praying and worship because God's epiphanies or manifestations are often associated with high places. But Peter, James and John would be dumbfounded to experience in a vision that God was them all long. "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" (Mat 17:5 NRS)

While trailers and previews are all about the spectacle, the Transfiguration did not limit itself to wonder and awe. The three certainly were. Even Peter could not make sense out of it much more the words that he spoke. Jesus had to reveal to them His glorious form and the Father had to make His voice heard again for them to realize the hope of a future glory which is in the Person of Jesus Christ. Yet this hope does not come from visions or spectacle. It comes the most important part of the passage as the Father commands, "listen to him!"

The hope of the Resurrection which we find in Jesus only becomes ours if we listen to Him. It is a hope that we too will share in the glorious form revealed in the Transfiguration, that there is a reality that goes beyond the beauty and limits of this world. It is a hope accessed by faith in listening. Jesus knows too well that we need to be strengthened as we go through life, as we face our daily crosses. So He plants that hope in us to spur us on. Just like trailers, the Transfiguration previews the main attraction. More than that, it also allows us to already enter, and not just watch passively, the main feature: the life of Jesus Christ in us.

The Joy of the Kingdom

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 13:44-52.
Jesus said to his disciples:
"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,
which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore
and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age.
The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

"Do you understand all these things?"
They answered, "Yes."
And he replied,
"Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven
is like the head of a household
who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."

---

Reflection
The past Sundays' Gospel readings are part of the 'Day of Parables' with Jesus in Matthew. We have been tackling several parables of the Kingdom of God. These short stories are Jesus' way of explaining the mystery of the Kingdom and to think that there are many of them, the Kingdom must be inexhaustible. Jesus made it clear that to establish the Kingdom here on earth is his primary mission.

What makes Jesus so passionate about it? Today's readings speak of two men: one stumbled upon something valuable, while another found it in his search. The first was unintentional, the second intentional. These perhaps are the two ways we discover the Kingdom in our lives. Either we just stumble upon it or that we search for it throughout our lives. In both instances, the two men were filled with joy and excitement they were able to leave everything else for what they found.

The Kingdom of God is something that possesses us with joy and excitement. It captivates us and challenges us to leave everything else for its sake. It gives us meaning and reason. Whether we found it or it found us what matters is the encounter of love and joy. We can say that the Kingdom is a state where God's love is reigning over you. You suddenly find that your life has meaning and direction in the service of God or that a series of difficulties forced you to look at your life with the eyes of God and you find peace. A deeper look into the Kingdom would reveal that it is about Jesus. Jesus is the Kingdom of God made man. When you found him or that he found you, he gives meaning to your life and you can put down everything else to follow him.

Time and Growth in the Kingdom of Heaven

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 13:24-43.
Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:
"The kingdom of heaven may be likened
to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?'
He answered, 'An enemy has done this.'
His slaves said to him,
'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
"First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

He proposed another parable to them.
"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the 'birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.'"

He spoke to them another parable.
"The kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened."

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world.

Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
"Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."
He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the evil one,
and the enemy who sows them is the devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."

---

Reflection
The Gospel this Sunday is exceptionally long. This is understandable since it tries to explain an ineffable reality in the Kingdom of Heaven. Ask any priest today what the Kingdom of Heaven is and you will get diverse answers. Today, Matthew gives us three parables to explain it: the wheat and weeds, the mustard seed, and the yeast and flour. Let us focus our reflection on two themes: time and growth.

In all three parables, a theme is evident - that of silent growth. The Kingdom of Heaven according to Matthew is not an instant Kingdom that appears out of nowhere. No, unlike our culture of speed and instant gratification, the Kingdom of Heaven grows in each of us in silence. Different species of wheat grow at different rates before being harvested, some in four months, the others up to eight months. Before the advent of microbiology with Louis Pasteur in 1879 and the proliferation of commercial yeasts, early bakers had to capture wild yeast from their environment, culture it, and add it to the dough. The process of fermentation or the 'rising' of the bread takes hours. Slower rises means tastier bread for them. All in all baking bread in the ancient world takes time. Contrast that today when how easily one could purchase bread from the bakeshop.

The point of the parables is clear. The Kingdom of Heaven works silently within us. St. Paul in his Letter to the Romans as this Sunday's second reading, points out the real reason for this silent growth. The Spirit who teaches us how to pray as we ought is the God that moves within each of us inspiring us to grow. The period of 'instant' creation belongs to Genesis. Our era is the period of rising 'doughs'. God is giving humanity the space and time to grow.

For those who allow God to work through them, a great promise is given. Jesus points out the seemingly impossible results that come out of Christian growth. Like the mustard seed, the 'smallest of all seeds', that grows into a majestic tree, a Christian in the process of conversion is meant to dominate the spiritual landscape so that the birds of heaven can rest in his branches. Remember our late bloomer in St. Augustine who once lived a life of decadence, has through the years of conversion and growth in the Spirit become a spiritual giant in the Church. Look at the life of St. Therese of the Child Jesus who was, like the seed planted in the ground, hidden from the world has become the patron of missions! The Kingdom of Heaven is marked by phenomenal growth, remarkable as the power that inspires its growth in every man.

If to provide a partial answer to the perennial problem of evil, "if there is a God why is there evil in the world?", we look to the parable of the wheat and weeds. The patience of God is given to both wheat and weed. God tolerates evil and evil men. Here we see a glimpse of God's Wisdom. Through centuries of reflection in the Church we have come to realize that humanity is inherently good and is capable of doing good and is meant to be so. God has made everything good. All of us are wheat planted in the world by God. Because of human freedom and human frailty we have the tendency to turn sour, to turn evil, to turn weed. There is a real enemy behind every resistance to the urging of the Spirit and he sows the weed within each of us if we allow him to. Yet in the presence of all these evil, God tolerates our failures. Why? Maybe because He still believes in the goodness that He has planted within each of us, if only we allow it to grow.

The main hero of this section on the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew is the God who according to the Book of Wisdom in the first reading 'cares for all' and the psalms proclaim as 'good and forgiving.' He is the ground of the Kingdom of Heaven in which we are to grow. If God has been provident, caring, and patient with us, shouldn't we be to others but most especially to ourselves?

Becoming Rich Soil for the Word

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 13:1-23.
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
"A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."

The disciples approached him and said,
"Why do you speak to them in parables?"
He said to them in reply,
"Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted,
and I heal them.

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

"Hear then the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one
who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it,
and the evil one comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."

---

Reflection

I was in Tagaytay last Saturday to attend the perpetual profession of Friar Andrew Datoy of the OFM Conventuals. We would have wanted to attend also his diaconal ordination in order to welcome him to the sacred order but our apostolate schedule would not permit it. The experience of seeing other congregations than our very own Salesian order celebrate milestones in the religious life is certainly enriching. The now Reverend Andrew's choice of giving his whole life to the service of the Church under the Order of Friars Minor - Conventuals, I think, is the best expression of today's Gospel.

When the first reading proclaimed that God's Word is ever fecund, meaning it would always be fruitful and would always bring forth its intended effect, it was giving praise to the power of God. When God speaks, things happen. God never lies, He never contradicts Himself, and His truth is so creative. This Word is so powerful it was instrumental in the six days of creation. Throughout the week of creation a refrain is heard, "then God SAID...".

For Israel this Word is rendered as dabar.  John the Evangelist would later connect to this understanding of God's powerful Word and place it in the person of Jesus. Jesus is person of the Word (or in Greek, logos, which is equivalent to dabar). God's Word is not an abstract concept but a Person, the second Person in the Trinity who is the Son. In the ancient world, the 'word' or 'logos' or 'dabar' is something powerful. It holds the nature of a thing. It enables one to understand another thing by grasping the 'word' of that thing. For us today, it is likened to our concept of 'meaning'.

This is how religious life is able to proclaim the power of God's Word, Jesus Christ Himself. It would be downright foolishness for a person to give up everything in order to follow a Person he hasn't seen unless this person found meaning in his life choices. Religious people, both brothers and nuns, consecrated virgins, and priests, give up much of their life because they found meaning in Jesus. Friar Andrew then is a rich soil who has received the seed of the Word and is bearing fruit.

The great lesson behind the Gospel is the indiscriminate sowing of the sower. If God is the sower, then He clearly doesn't mind where the seed of the Word falls. That is the generosity and richness of God's mercy. He calls through His Word every human person although He knows some will not respond. Yet, He still sows everywhere.

We, who are recipients of this Word, will not always be the rich soil that receives the Word. More often we are soil with thorns or the rocky ground. Sometimes we are the footpath that is oblivious to God's call. We don't have to obsess over our capability to receive the Word for in fact the whole message of this Sunday's readings is the effectiveness of the Word of God. God would understand our state if we are as hard as the bedrock. Jesus just points out to us the patience of God which works to soften the hardness of our hearts that someday will turn it into lush fruitful soil.

Our invitation today is not about bearing fruit. Fruitfulness is God's gift to us through the Word and the Spirit. The invitation is to a disposition of sensitivity, openness, and surrender to God's Word. We are invited to allow God to turn us into rich humus so that His Word can grow in us. It doesn't matter if you find the Sunday liturgy today dry and boring, what matters is your commitment to the celebration of the Word and the Sacrament. It doesn't matter for parents if children doesn't always listen and obey, what matters is that they know they are loved. It doesn't matter if love is not appreciated and responded to, what matters is that you love. For it is in this moments of sensitivity, openness, and surrender that we find meaning, our logos, God's dabar in our lives. It is in that moment when we have allowed Jesus, the Word of God Incarnate, to influence us and live in us. The growing and bearing fruit will soon follow.

Friar Andrew does not know if he will do great things in the future or how much good will he contribute to the Church. What mattered was that he said 'yes'.  And by so doing, he allows the Word to germinate in him, and God's Word is always fruitful.

The Jesus Way

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 11:25-30.
At that time Jesus exclaimed:
"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

---

Reflection

It would seem funny that the prophet Zechariah in the first reading foresaw the Messiah riding in an ass as He comes to Jerusalem. The ass is a beast of burden but the Old Testament would portray its leaders and noblemen as riding on asses. Although if you image search on Google the animals ass and horse, the latter is certainly more appealing to us. Yet Zechariah insists that the Just Savior, the Messiah, would ride on the animal close to the culture of Israel and not on chariots and horses.

What is this leading to? It points out to us the great reversals that is quite common in the Bible. While we think that horses are grandier than asses like Ferrari's to Jeepneys, the vision of God is the reverse of human standards. For Zechariah, the Messiah is a man of peace in contrast to leaders who ride horses and chariots to war. The Gospel today presents to us Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the peace-bringer and one who reverses our world.

There are two parts to the Gospel today. In the first part, Jesus presents Himself as the Revealer of the Father. Here, Jesus uses the absolute. The Father knows the Son and the Son knows the Father. Knowledge is the Scriptures is more than just about possessing the facts. Knowledge here means a deep relationship between two persons. We know our parents and children more than what other people know about them. That the Father and the Son know each other is Jesus' claim to Divinity, for He claims for Himself the hidden knowledge of Yahweh. Those who accept this claim, Jesus calls the 'little ones', the 'babes', tender names He uses for His disciples.

It was the disciples, who are not professionals about the Scriptures and the legalities of the Law, that believed Jesus. Contrast these to the scribes and the Pharisees who Jesus calls the 'wise and the learned'. The latter group already have their ideas of who God is and who the Messiah should be. Their hearts were not open and so they could not accept Jesus, nor believe His miracles, nor accept His claim. When we claim wisdom for our own, it the point when we actually lose Wisdom Himself.

The second part of the Gospel consists then of Jesus' invitation to us. "Learn from me," Jesus says. The way to the Father does not consist in human knowledge and effort. It is the person of Jesus. How is Jesus the way and revealer of the Father? He is "humble of heart," and in Him we find rest in true peace. This connects exceptionally to our first reading, to Zechariah's Messiah as bringer of peace.

To "take the yoke" means to be a disciple. Jesus is simply inviting us today to follow His person. For in the nature of His human and divine heart, the Father is revealed to us. St. Paul would say that those who are true disciples of Jesus are living in the Spirit of God who gives life. They shy away from the deeds of the flesh. Flesh for St. Paul is linked to worldliness, all that is opposite to Christ. So the Liturgy today challenges us to make a stand with Jesus the Way against the current and ideas of the world.

When today more than before we think that money, power, influence, and honor bring us lasting happiness, the Gospel presents a contrasting alternative in Jesus. As Christians we are to live like Jesus. To believe in Jesus is in itself an act of humility. To live like Jesus is an act of meekness. Jesus should be our standard and our model. He should be our selfie and our everyday hashtag.

Lastly, Jesus gives us consolation. His "yoke is easy" and his "burden light." Because if you live Jesus, you live the Way of Love. When everything is flavored with love, life becomes sweet. Having the latest iPhone is today's horse and chariot, but we choose to ride on the ass, the beast of burden yet the one that carries the Messiah: for in service, humility, and love we are disciples of Jesus. Think like Jesus. Live like Jesus.

The Believing Thomas

Image used under Creative Commons, no copyright infringement intended.

Most of what I write below are ideas culled from an inspiring homily by Fr. Stephen Placente, SDB tonight. I was simply amazed after reading today's Office of Readings from St. Pope Gregory the Great and after hearing tonight's homily that opened my horizons on St. Thomas the Apostle.

St. Thomas is often described as the doubting Thomas. As the Gospel account has it, after hearing proof of the Lord's resurrection, he demanded a physical experience of the Lord's resurrected body for him to believe the unbelievable. This view of St. Thomas has been used and misused for so long. It is too easy to miss the point that it was him who gave the highest profession of faith in Jesus Christ in the whole of the New Testament: "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28).

This great apostle could not become the patron saint of unbelievers and doubters for how could such profession of faith emanate from so deep a doubt? It would be a too far a jump if there were no faith no matter how little to begin with. What is in St. Thomas the Apostle is a faith that sought to be reasonable. It is a faith that proved that the Resurrection is not just a spiritual event but a real one! The Lord really had risen! For if he simply believed what the other apostles had told him of the risen Christ, his own conviction about his faith would be shallow. He heard the news yet his own need for the experience got the better of him.

After all, things become more real for us the moment we experience them. It was so for St. Thomas. And according to Pope Gregory the Great, it was out of God's providential plan that he was absent and his intellectual nature demanded a real experience of the risen Christ. In the same way that Israel believed in the power of Yahweh in their Exodus experience, St. Thomas professed his faith in his physical experience of the risen Christ.

And here we are, receiving only what was once oral tradition of the risen Christ now written in the Scriptures. Can we then demand to experience the risen Christ in order to believe? To us is addressed Jesus words, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” (John 20:29) For while we have not seen the risen Christ with our own eyes, we have been receiving his Body and Blood in the Eucharist and have been part of His Mystical Body, the Church. The Gospel account is not so much about proofs that lead to faith, but faith that is strengthened by reason and experience.

Above all is faith. St. Thomas' faith was strengthened by that encounter which for him was indescribably real it gave him strength to witness to the faith with his life. By tradition, he was believed to be martyred after preaching the Gospel in the subcontinent of India. If that faith were not real because his experience of the risen Christ was not real, he couldn't have shared the glory of the Cross. And so for us is the task of remembering our real experience of the risen Christ. It need not be through seeing and touching. It could be an interior experience that we cannot explain. It could be an experience of love, of communion, or of faith. But whatever real experience grace has given us, let it lead to real faith, a faith that allows us to give our lives for Christ and to exclaim "My Lord and my God!"

The Primacy of God and a Case for Hospitality

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 10:37-42.
Jesus said to his apostles:
"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

"Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is a righteous man
will receive a righteous man's reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because the little one is a disciple—
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

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Reflection

Just before we were sent out to our respective weekend apostolate assignments, our formator-in-charge warned us: "Do not think that people come close to you and praise you and compliment you because you are handsome. No, they come to you because they see the goodness in you." It was a fitting warning to a millenial generation of ministers who are fond of using social media and taking selfies. This generation after all is described as obsessively narcissistic. But I would say that people approach the ministers at the altar because they believe God is with them.

A Vietnamese priest who got recently ordained and who grew up with me in the theologate is unsettled at the lavish concern that Filipino Catholics give to priests. It is a point of teasing between us but it does show the Catholic culture we have in the Philippines. It is indeed unsettling for us who chose to serve at the altar since we very well know of our own weaknesses and how much we do not deserve the honor. Yet by faith, we accept it for by faith we believe that the devotion the People of God lavish on priests and ordained ministers are not to the persons themselves but to Christ.

It simply amazes me that the Spanish missionaries were able to inculcate in our society this instinct for Christ in the ministers. The danger these days however is to forget the faith that underlies the devotion. In fact, other sects deride Catholics for this seemingly unrealistic practice. Jesus in today's Gospel invites His believers to a culture of hospitality for those He has sent. It is not about the person sent but the message that the apostle (apostolos in Greek means "sent") bears for the Christian community. That is the reward for hospitality and devotion promised by the Lord.

The message or Good News is none other than Christ. So the reward for accepting the messenger into one's home and one's heart is certainly greater than that of the prophet or the righteous one. We ordained ministers bring Christ to the people of God. There is no proof for this other than our witnessing and preaching and only the eyes of faith can see Christ in the minister. The minister for his part has to believe this in a greater degree since the pull of doubts can sometimes douse the flame of the Gospel.

All in all, everything revolves around Christ and it is Christ who holds everything together. Thus our love for Him must transcend everything else even familial ties. For all other loves exist because of the Love of Christ. Only Christ gives meaning to everything.